Tseng disappointed with skins performance

Fans support golfer Yani Tseng at the Grand Slam skins game at the Miramar Golf and Country Club in Linkou District, New Taipei City, yesterday.

Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times

World No. 1 female golfer Yani Tseng of Taiwan did poorly in a skins game in New Taipei City yesterday, a warm-up event ahead of an invitational charity tournament.

Tseng finished last with just US$5,000 prize money in a round that saw Paula Creamer of the US and So Yeon-ryu of South Korea each taking US$37,000 in prize money, with Stacy Lewis, also of the US, winning US$21,000.

The four players were -competing in an 18-hole Grand Slam skins game, with half of the roughly NT$3 million (US$100,000) in prize money going to charity. Players in a skins game compete for prize money on each individual hole.

Because of constant rain and a chilly wind, the organizers decided to call it a day at the 18th hole, where Creamer and Lewis both shot birdies. Instead of a further 50-yard chipping contest, the four players agreed to share the hole’s prize money of US$20,000.

“Today I thought it would be nice to take at least one hole, but I failed,” Tseng, 22, said after the game.

“In the end, I could have ended up with nothing if they hadn’t shared the prize money with me,” she added, drawing laughter from the assembled press.

Acknowledging her disappointment, Tseng said she was still proud of herself and her rivals, because finishing the 18 holes in such weather conditions was “not easy at all.”

All the players and caddies were soaked through after the game, she said.

The other players echoed Tseng, saying the most important thing was to keep the ball on the fairway, because the rough was so wet.

“If it’s like this tomorrow, it’s not going to be a very low score,” said Creamer, known on the LPGA circuit as the Pink Panther because of her penchant for pink.

“It’s going to be hard and difficult,” added the world No. 5, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time.

She was referring to the 54-hole Swinging Skirts TLPGA Invitational, to be played over three rounds from today through Sunday.

The invitational has a total purse of NT$15 million. Half of the proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to earthquake relief efforts in Japan, while the other half will go toward the development of women’s golf in Taiwan.

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